What to Fix at Work Before You Get Another Job

There's no time like a new year to cut and run from a dissatisfying job. After all, January sees a surge in new listings every year, and the perfect next move could be just around the corner. This is particularly true if you're in a toxic work situation — but if you're not, and the thought of going through the job search just makes you tired, you may not have to uproot your whole life just yet.

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One big rule of decluttering is to get rid of stuff that's getting in your way before you buy more stuff to try and organize it all. The same can be said of work conditions that aren't working out for you. Writing for The Motley Fool, Maurie Backman recently pointed out that only 40 percent of people described themselves as happy at work. Rather than leaving a position and risk replicating what made you unhappy in the first place, it's worth examining what you could change at your job now, even if you still don't plan on sticking around forever.

Backman recommends assessing what in particular is bothering you; it's most likely that you're stuck in some kind of rut. If you're looking for more challenges, ask for or take on new responsibilities. If you're not fitting in at the water cooler, seek out different colleagues. If you've been troubleshooting your job for a while and it's still not a good fit, take heart: Now you know that much more about what to say yes to next time around.